This invention relates to an improved flail-type honeycomb decapper for decapping wax from cells on both sides of honeycombs simultaneously.
A conventional procedure in the extraction of honey from the honeycomb is to use a special knife heated by steam or electricity to remove the wax caps from the cells of the honeycomb. Other procedures include the use of machines which automatically decap he honeycombs.
One known device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,775 issued to Crane on Sep. 7, 1948 and discloses an endless conveyor having spaced lugs for receiving individual honeycombs. Each honeycomb is moved by the conveyor through a station including a pair of brushes and a spring loaded shoe having curved end portions which serve to hold the honeycomb frame snugly in place as it passes through the brushes. The rotating brushes act on both side of the honeycomb frame simultaneously.
Another known device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,986 issued to Ladwig on Sep. 7, 1948 and discloses a honeycomb frame placed on a carriage which slides upon a pair of rails over a drum having prongs which perform the decapping operation.
Also, another known device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,523,963 issued to Hodgson on Jan. 20, 1925 and discloses a decapping device for honeycombs which includes rotating brushes which act on opposite sides of the honeycomb.
Further, the present invention is an improvement of the original flail-type honeycomb decapper, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,008 and invented by Donald Gunness on Aug. 23, 1988 and comprises a frame, upper and lower flailing elements driven by variable speed motors with fans and including a plurality of chain pieces, a first chain driven conveyor fixedly mounted to the frame, and a second chain driven conveyor fixedly mounted to the frame. The conveyors nor the upper flail element is adjustable.
The present invention is an improvement of the original flail-type honeycomb decapper.